Jewelry case



F. J. BRES JEWELRY CASE Aug 21, 1951 Filed Oct. 11, 1949 lNVENTOR 8W1, W v 4O ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JEWELRY CASE Frances J. Brs, Washington, D. 0.

Application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,666

6 Claims. (01. ISO-52) This invention relates to carrying cases for jewelry, and more particularly to receptacles of this general character in which women may carry their rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins and other articles of personal jewelry while travcling.

Heretofore, it has been customary for women to keep their jewelry in boxes which are often too large and cumbersome to be readily packed in a traveling bag, and which fail to provide adequate protection for the individual pieces except by relatively expensive subdivision of the interior of the box with an attendant decrease in accessibility of the contents. It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a jewelry case of light, compact and inexpensive construction which permits the various pieces to be safely and conveniently stowed and maintained in separate compartments, affords easy access to all of the contents, and can be readily packed in the ordinary suitcase or carried in a handbag.

Another object is to provide a jewelry container particularly adapted for use when traveling which, when opened, enables direct access to all of its contents, and which can be readily folded or rolled into closed position so as to occupy a minimum of space.

A further object is to provide a foldable jewelry container which can be inexpensively manufactured from various materials susceptible of fabrication into neat and attractive articles of personal traveling equipment.

Still another object is to provide a jewelry container of the character described having a plurality of separate compartments each of which is provided with an individual slide fastener of the zipper type for quickly and positively opening and closing the same.

These and other objects will appear more fully upon consideration of the detailed description of the embodiment of the invention which follows. Although only one particular form of case is described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it is to be expressly understood that this drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to represent the full scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of one form of jewelry case constructed in accordance with the resent inve t showing the case unfolded and open, as it appears when ready to receive the jewelry to be carried therein;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the case of Fig. 1 taken substantially on the lines 22 and 33, respectively, in the latter figure; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the case in closed, folded condition.

As illustrated in the drawing, the container of the present invention preferably comprises, as its principal elements, a pair of superposed pieces H and I2 of flexible material, constituting the case proper, which are so secured to one another as to form therebetween a plurality of jewelry receiving compartments or pockets, another piece [3 of flexible material forming the outer cover of the case, and a pair of tie ribbons or tapes M and M which are adapted to maintain the case in folded or rolled condition when ready for packing or carrying. The pieces II and I2 may be of any suitable soft, durable material or fabric which does not ravel, preferably chamois or suede. Other materials that may be used, particularly in the less expensive forms of case, include chamois cloth, suede'cloth and the kind of of flannel commonly used for wrapping silverware. The outer cover piece l3 may also be made of "a variety of materials having wear-resisting,

protective and ornamental characteristics, in-

cluding nylon and soft leather. The ties I4 and 15 may, of course, be made of any material suitable for the purpose.

Although the pieces II and l2 may be formed by folding a single piece of material in half, economy in production will usually result from cutting the two pieces separately to the same pattern and then securing them together in superposed position by a pair of parallel, vertically extending (as viewed in Fig. 1) lines of stitching I6 and H adjacent the side edges of the pieces. The pieces H and I2 are also secured together by additional lines of stitching l 8, l9 and 20 parallel to lines it and H and so positioned as to divide the space between said pieces into a plurality of non-communicating pockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 of any desired width. In the embodiment disclosed, pockets 2!, 22 and 23 are of equal width,

.while pocket 24, which is innermost when the case is folded, is slightly narrower than the others.

In order to provide easy access to the pockets 2|, 22, 23 and 24, and to assure positive and secure closing thereof, each of them is provided with a separable slide fastener 25 of the conventional zipper type positioned parallel to and of the pieces II and I2.

closely adjacent one side of the pocket. The fasteners 25 preferably extend almost the entire height of the pockets, their ends being located equidistant from the top and bottom edges of the case. The location of the fasteners at one side of each pocket, rather than in the middle thereof, has the effect of providing a larger stowage space for the jewelry and also enables easier access to the contents of each pocket without as much danger of spilling the contents. In order to avoid bulkiness, present a neat, attractive appearance and prevent interference with manipulation of the fasteners, the material of the outer piece II of the case is cut away, rather than merely slit, as indicated at 26 to receive the interlocking teeth 2? and slider 23 of each fastener 25, the tapes 29 to which the teeth 2? are fixed lying underneath, and being secured. by stitching 3i] to, the material of piece II surrounding each cutaway opening 26. Since the edges of the piece I! around the openings 23 are exposed, it is important that the material from which the piece I I is made be non-ravelling in character so as to avoid possible jamming of the fasteners by loose treads.

For the purpose of providing better stowage of relatively small pieces of jewelry, such as rings and earrings, one or more of the pockets may be subdivided into a plurality of smaller compartments. As shown, the pocket 26, which is opposite the side edge of the case to which the ties I4 and I5 are connected and is innermost when the case is folded, is subdivided by a plurality of parallel, horizontal lines of stitching 3! extending from the vertical stitching 28 to the stitching 30 around the fastener 25, the horizontal stitching 3I securing the pieces II and I2 together in such a manner as to form a plurality of small corn partments 32, all of which are readily accessible when the fastener 25 is open. With this construction, rings, earrings and other small pieces of jewelry can be individually packed so as to avoid mixing up of paired pieces and possible loosening of stones which might be caused by contact with other pieces.

The larger pockets 2!, 22 and 23 are suitable for receiving necklaces, bracelets, pins and other relatively large pieces of jewelry. It is preferable, however, to provide one or more of these larger pockets with an internal tongue or fiap of slightly less width than the pocket so as to divide the interior of the latter into upper and lower portions. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pockets 2! and 22 are provided with such tongues 33, the latter having their right-hand edges, those remote from the fasteners 25, fixed to the pieces I! and I2 by the lines of stitching I6 and I8, the left-hand edges being free and lying just inside the openings to the pockets provided by the fasteners 25. The tongues 33 may be made of any suitable material, preferably the same as that of which pieces II and I2 are formed, and serve both to prevent contact between pieces of jewelry in the same pocket disposed on opposite sides of the tongue, and as supports to which pins may be fixed by their own fastening elements and thereby maintained in fixed positions out of contact with one another.

The cover piece I3 of the case is preferably larger than the pieces II and I2 so that it may be overlapped with respect to the edges of the latter and thus not only improve the appearance and finish of the case, but also protect the edges As will be seen best in Figs. 2 and 3, the cover I3 may be secured to the case proper formed by the pieces II and I2 by internal lines of horizontal stitching as and 35, a similar line of vertical stitching 36 at the righthand edge of the case, and an exposed line of vertical stitching 31 at the opposite edge. When, as shown, the material of the cover I3 is not overlapped with respect to the right-hand edges of the case pieces II and I2, the ties I4 and I5 may be conveniently secured to the case by inserting their ends between the edges of the pieces II and i2 and cover I3 before the latter are secured together by the stitching 36.

A jewel case of the construction above described and illustrated in the drawing can. be manufactured rapidly and inexpensively in the following manner. The pieces II and I2 are first cut to the same pattern, either individually or by folding in half a double-size piece, and then the outer piece II is cut away to form the openings 26, the fasteners 25 are inserted therein and the tapes 29 are secured to the piece II by the stitching 35. The two pieces II and I2 are then superposed and secured to one another by the vertical lines of stitching IE, I I, I8, I9 and 2B and the horizontal lines 3!. The next operation is to attach the cover I3 and ties I4 and I5 to the case proper as constituted by the pieces II and I2. This is preferably accomplished by placing the cover I3, wrong side up, on top of the outer piece II, matching the upper and the lower edges of the cover with those of the pieces II and I2, and then stitching the cover to the latter pieces along the horizontal lines 34 and 35. Since, as above mentioned, the cover I3 is larger than the pieces I I and I2, there will be a certain amount of fullness of the cover material between the lines of stitching 34 and 35, which fullness will be taken up when the assembled cover and case pieces are turned inside out as hereinafter described. The next stop is to place the ties I4 and I5 between the cover I3 and outer piece II with one end of each tie adjacent those side edges of said pieces and cover from which the ties will extend in the finished case, and then stitch all of said elements together along the line 36. The assembly of parts thus formed then turned inside out, the extra material of the cover I3 at the side edge opposite that at which the ties M and I5 are connected is folded over to form a binding 3'! for the exposed edges of the pieces II and I2, and the binding is secured to said pieces by the stitching 38 to complete the case. The fullness in the cover material which existed before the assembly is turned inside out for the final edging operation is taken up in forming protective overlapping bindings 39 and it! for the top and bottom edges of the case.

When it is desired to pack the case, it is spread out in fiat condition, as illustrated in Fig. 1, whereupon jewelry may be readily placed in any of the pockets or compartments by simply opening the appropriate slide fastener 25, raising the outer piece II away from the inner piece I2 to spread the pocket, and then inserting the jewelry as desired. The tongues or flaps 33 of the pockets 2| and 22 are easily accessible when the slide fasteners are open, and can be either lifted to place articles therebeneath or held in the hand while pins are fixed thereto. When all of the pieces of jewelry have been placed in the various pockets and the latter have been positively and securely closed by manipulation of the sliders 28, the case is closed by an over-and-over folding or rolling of the sections thereof, starting with 5. the left-hand section containing the smaller compartments 32, the folds being made approximately along the lines of stitching 20, I9 and It, in that order, whereupon the ties l4 and I5 are passed around the folded case and tied together in the manner indicated in Fig.4. It will be understood, of course, that the shape and size of the case when closed will depend upon the amount of jewelry which it contains, and that it will have the flat appearance of Fig. 4 only when empty or containing relatively few pieces.

To remove jewelry from the case, it is merely necessary to untie the ties l4 and I5, unfold or unroll the case into the relatively flat condition of Fig. 1 and open the slide fastener of the particular pocket to which access is desired.

There is thus provided by the present invention a novel and highly useful form of jewelry case of simple, inexpensive construction which is especially well adapted for use while traveling. It is light, compact and easy to pack or carry, and so constructed as to provide ready access to its contents, while at the same time insuring their safe transportation.

Although only one specific form of case embodying the invention has been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it will be obvious that the invention is not limited to the exact structure shown, but is capable of a variety of physical embodiments. For example, the case may contain any desired number of pockets or compartments of any suitable size and arrangement, although the use of four main sections with the smaller compartments disposed as illustrated is particularly well adapted to serve the needs of the majority of women who carry their jewelry with them when traveling. It will also be understood that the internal tongues or flaps may be embodied in as many or as few of the pockets as is desired. The shape and dimensions of the case may, of course, be varied to meet the dictates of fashion and utility, as may the materials from which the different parts are formed. It is also obvious that the various elements of the case could be secured together in other ways than by sewing, as by the use of a suitable adhesive.

Various other changes which will now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art may be made in the form, details of construction and arrangement of the parts of the case without departing from the inventive concept. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A jewelry case comprising a pair of superposed pieces of flexible material having their edge portions secured together, means for securing said pieces together along a plurality of lines so located with respect to the edges thereof as to divide the space between said pieces into a plurality of non-communicatin pockets, one of said pieces being cut away at a plurality of points to provide an opening into each of said pockets, and a plurality of separable slide fasteners fixed to said cutaway piece for controlling access to said pockets through said openings, the case thus formed being foldable approximately along the lines defining said pockets.

2. A jewelry case comprising a pair of superposed pieces of flexible material having their edge portions secured together, means for securing said pieces together alon a plurality of lines so located with respect to the edges thereof as to divide the space between said pieces into a plurality of non-communicating pockets, one of said pieces being cut away at a plurality of points to provide an opening'into each of said pockets, a plurality of separable slide fasteners fixed to said cutaway piece for controlling access to said pockets through said openings, and means for subdividing at least one of said pockets into a plurality of compartments, all of said compartments being accessible through the fastenercontrolled opening into said pocket.

3. A jewelry case comprisin a pair of superposed pieces of flexible material having their edge portions secured together, means for securing said pieces together along a plurality of lines so located with respect to the edges thereof as to divide the space between said pieces into a plurality of non-communicating pockets, one of said pieces being cut away at a plurality of points to provide an opening into each of said pockets, and a plurality of separable slide fasteners fixed to said cutaway piece for controlling access to said pockets through said openings, at least one of said pockets containing a tongue of flexible material lying between said pieces and secured to the latter adjacent one of its edges along one of the lines defining said pocket.

4. A jewelry container comprising superposed inner and outer thicknesses of soft durable material substantially rectangular in shape and secured together along all four edges, stitching securing said thicknesses together along a plurality of lines parallel to the side edges thereof so as to divide the space between said thicknesses into a plurality of non-communicating pockets extending substantially the full height of said thicknesses, a separable slide fastener in said outer thickness providing a normally closed opening into each of said pockets located adjacent the line of stitching defining one side of said ocket, and stitching extending parallel to the top and bottom edges of said thicknesses and securing the latter together so as to subdivide one of said pockets into a plurality of compartments all of which are accessible through the fastener-controlled opening into said pocket.

5. A jewelry container comprising superposed inner and outer thicknesses of soft durable material substantially rectangular in shape and secured together along all four edges, stitching securing said thicknesses together along a plurality of lines so positioned with respect to the edges thereof as to divide the space between said thicknesses into a plurality of non-communicating pockets, a separable slide fastener in said outer thickness providing a normally closed opening into each of said pockets located adjacent the line of stitching defining one side of said pocket, and a substantially rectangular piece of flexible material in one of said pockets interposed between said thicknesses and having one side edge secured thereto by the line of stitching defining the side of said pocket remote from said fastener.

6. A foldable jewelry container of the character described comprising a pair of inner and outer case-forming pieces of flexible material having all of their edges secured together, a cover of flexible material lying next to said inner piece and secured along all of its edges to said pieces, the edges of said cover overlapping at least some of the edges of said pieces, means dividing the space between said inner and outer pieces into a plurality of separate pockets, a separable slide fastener providing a normally closed opening into each of said pockets, the container thus formed 7 being foldable to place the pockets in superposed position with the cover outermost, and means for securing said container in folded condition. FRANCES J. BEES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Brenan Nov. 16, 1920 Beer June 20, 1922 Carroll May 2'7, 1924 Steiner Feb. 16, 1926 Sternthal July 31, 1928 Gebelein Apr. 16, 1935 Vasquez Oct. 28, 1947 

